Repair culture

Introduction[edit | edit source]

Graham and Thrift (2016) ^[1] argue that maintenance and repair is central for the understanding of modern societies and, particularly, cities and that repair and maintenance activities present a kind of 'missing link' in social theory.

Repair culture is a also central to the maker / fab lab movement and other activist endevours. E.g. Sanford ^[2] states that “Repair enthusiasts believe their actions, even very small actions like darning a sock, ripple and create meaningful climate change solutions. Social connection amplifies repair actions. Through events like Fixit Clinics and mending workshops, people connect, inspire and influence each other, and develop a sense of solidarity and purpose to sustain their climate actions.”

Hector & Botero (2021) ^[3] “[...]revealed how the DIY initiatives tie together roles and resources to provide concrete everyday infrastructure for citizens while dependent on resources such as space, insurance, legitimacy, and knowledge to navigate surrounding bureaucracy, provided largely via various institutional arrangements. Conversely, these established institutional arrangements benefit from DIY initiatives’ local knowledge, authenticity, and expertise. Finally, both sides wish to gain fuller mutual understanding and dialogue-related competencies.”

Bibliography[edit | edit source]